| 2004–05 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood | |||
| Manager | Arsène Wenger | |||
| Stadium | Highbury | |||
| Premier League | 2nd | |||
| FA Cup | Winners | |||
| League Cup | Quarter-finals | |||
| FA Community Shield | Winners | |||
| UEFA Champions League | Round of 16 | |||
| Top goalscorer | League:Thierry Henry (25) All: Thierry Henry (30) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 38,164 vsManchester United (1 February 2005) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 27,791 vsEverton (9 November 2004) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 37,979 (in all competitions)[1] | |||
The2004–05 season wasArsenal Football Club's 13th season in thePremier League and their 79th consecutive season in the top flight of English football.[2][3] The club ended the campaign asFA Cup winners, but failed to retain theirPremier League title as they finished second toChelsea. In theUEFA Champions League, Arsenal made an exit in the first knockout round toBayern Munich.
In thetransfer window Arsenal purchased goalkeeperManuel Almunia, who initially served a backup toJens Lehmann, and midfielderMathieu Flamini. The club kept hold of its captainPatrick Vieira after much transfer speculation over his expected move toReal Madrid. Several players left Arsenal before the campaign got under way; defenderMartin Keown left to play forLeicester City,Ray Parlour joinedMiddlesbrough whileSylvain Wiltord signed forLyon.
Arsenal began the season in good form and equalledNottingham Forest's unbeaten league run of 42 matches againstMiddlesbrough. The team set a new English division record and went a further seven games unbeaten before losing toManchester United in controversial circumstances. Arsenal's form suffered as a result and defensive shortcomings became more apparent; two draws and a defeat in November reinforced Chelsea's position at the top of the table, where they remained for the rest of the season. At home toCrystal Palace in February 2005, Wenger named an Arsenal squad with no English players – a first in the club's history which attracted criticism from the media. The team ended the season strongly, with a run of eight wins from nine games ensuring a second-place finish. 32 different players represented the club in five competitions and there were 15 different goalscorers. Arsenal's top goalscorer wasThierry Henry, who scored 30 goals in 42 games.
Arsenal ended the previous season as league champions, becoming the first side sincePreston North End 115 years earlier to do so undefeated.[4] They completed their historic league campaign with 26 wins, 12 draws and 90 points.[5]
By the end of January 2004, Arsenal were still in the hunt for all four trophies, but suffered setbacks in each of the cup competitions; they were unable to retain theFA Cup, losing out to eventual winnersManchester United in the semi-finals and days later were knocked out of theUEFA Champions League byChelsea in the quarter-finals.[6] They exited theLeague Cup after a defeat toMiddlesbrough in early February.[7]
In
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | FW | Robin van Persie | Feyenoord | £2,750,000 | 1 July 2004 | [8] |
| 24 | GK | Manuel Almunia | Celta Vigo | Undisclosed | 14 July 2004 | [9] |
| 16 | MF | Mathieu Flamini | Marseille | Undisclosed | 22 July 2004 | [10] |
| 27 | DF | Emmanuel Eboué | Beveren | £1,500,000 | 7 January 2005 | [11] |
Out
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DF | Martin Keown | Leicester City | Free | 20 July 2004 | [12] |
| 15 | MF | Ray Parlour | Middlesbrough | Free | 23 July 2004 | [13] |
| 25 | FW | Nwankwo Kanu | West Bromwich Albion | Free | 30 July 2004 | [14] |
| 29 | FW | Francis Jeffers | Charlton Athletic | £2,600,000 | 10 August 2004 | [15] |
| 11 | FW | Sylvain Wiltord | Lyon | Free | 31 August 2004 | [16] |
| MF | John Spicer | AFC Bournemouth | £10,000 | 17 December 2004 | [17] | |
| DF | Dominic Shimmin | Queens Park Rangers | Undisclosed | 24 March 2005 | [18] | |
| GK | Chris Wright | Boston United | Undisclosed | 29 May 2005 | [19] |
| 17 July 2004Friendly | Barnet | 1–10 | Arsenal | London |
Reyes 19',21',42'Van Persie 29'Bergkamp 44',67'Jeffers 53',55',64'Quincy Owusu-Abeyie 70' | Stadium:Underhill Stadium Attendance: 4,674 |
| 22 July 2004Friendly | Maribor | 2–3 | Arsenal | Maribor |
| Bergkamp 4' Aliadière 17'Van Persie 84' | Stadium:Ljudski vrt Attendance: 5,000 |
| 24 July 2004Friendly | Grazer AK | 1–2 | Arsenal | Graz |
| Bergkamp 6' Van Persie 57' | Stadium:UPC-Arena |
| 28 July 2004Friendly | Sturm Graz | 0–2 | Arsenal | Graz |
| Reyes 30' (pen.) Jeffers 74' | Stadium:UPC-Arena Attendance: 5,000 |
| 30 July 2004Amsterdam Tournament | River Plate | 0–0 | Arsenal | Amsterdam |
| Stadium:Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 20,000 |
| 1 August 2004Amsterdam Tournament | Ajax | 0–0 | Arsenal | Amsterdam |
| Stadium:Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 52,000 |
| 3 August 2004Friendly | Boreham Wood | 1–1 | Arsenal | Borehamwood |
| Stokes 47' | Stadium:Meadow Park Attendance: 5,000 |
The 2004 edition of the FA Community Shield, was contested between Manchester United and Arsenal at theMillennium Stadium on 8 August.Cesc Fàbregas started alongsideGilberto Silva in midfield for Arsenal as Vieira was absent, whileThierry Henry partneredDennis Bergkamp up front.[20] After a goalless first half, Arsenal took the lead when Gilberto scored in the 50th minute. Manchester United equalised throughAlan Smith five minutes after, butJosé Antonio Reyes restored Arsenal's advantage two minutes before the hour mark.Mikaël Silvestre scored an own goal 11 minutes before the end to give Arsenal a 3–1 victory.[21] Wenger praised Fàbregas's performance after the match, describing the midfielder as a "complete player" and reiterated his desire to keep Vieira.[22]
A total of 20 teams competed in the Premier League in the 2004–05 season. Each team played 38 matches; two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season the top two teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; teams in third and fourth needed to play a qualifier.[23] The provisional fixture list was released on 24 June 2004, but was subject to change in the event of clashes with other competitions, international football, inclement weather, or matches being selected for television coverage.[24]
Arsenal began their defence of the league title againstEverton on 15 August 2004. Fàbregas was named in the first eleven; at 17 years 103 days he became the club's youngest ever Premier League player.[25] It was Bergkamp on his 500th league appearance who opened the scoring for Arsenal and Reyes made it 2–0, heading the ball in fromFreddie Ljungberg's cross.[25][26] Ljungberg added a third goal in the second half and in spite of the team conceding moments after,Robert Pires scored Arsenal's fourth in the 83rd minute.[25] Shortly before the kick-off at home toMiddlesbrough the following weekend, the club was presented a golden replica of the Premier League trophy, to commemorate their unbeaten season. In the match, Henry gave Arsenal the lead, which was cancelled out before half time byJoseph-Désiré Job's goal-bound effort.[27] Four minutes after the interval,Franck Queudrue exploited an error from defenderPascal Cygan and in turn passed the ball toJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who "finish[ed] with perfect brutality".[27] Queudrue scored to put Middlesbrough 3–1 up in the 53rd minute, but Bergkamp replied with a goal for Arsenal a minute later. The home team completed the comeback with further goals by Reyes, Pires and Henry. Wenger afterwards admitted Arsenal's defending was poor, but said their attacking threat made up for their deficiencies.[27] The 5–3 win meant Arsenal equalled Nottingham Forest's record of 42 league matches undefeated.[27] Three days later, the team beatBlackburn Rovers 3–0 to set a new record.[28] Arsenal at the end of the month travelled toNorwich City, where three first half goals set the team on the way to a 4–1 victory.[29] The win ended Norwich's eight-month undefeated record atCarrow Road.[29]
Due to international fixtures, Arsenal did not play another game for two weeks. On the resumption of club football, they travelled across London to faceFulham. Vieira made his return to the first team in place of Fàbregas.[30] Fulham was awarded a penalty in the first half, afterAshley Cole brought down strikerAndy Cole in the penalty area. RefereeMark Halsey however changed his mind after protests from the Arsenal players and a consultation with his assistant; the game was restarted with adropped-ball. Arsenal scored three times in the second half and ended the weekend of 6 September 2004 top of the league table, two points clear of second place Chelsea.[31][32] The league champions dropped their first points of the season at home toBolton Wanderers.[33] At theCity of Manchester Stadium on 25 September 2004, a goal by Cole earned Arsenal a 1–0 win againstManchester City. JournalistRussell Thomas, writing forThe Guardian, commented on Arsenal's fatigue during the second half and opined that the team needed to keep their focus against sterner opposition.[34]
Arsenal beatCharlton Athletic in early October to extend their unbeaten run to 48 league matches. Charlton managerAlan Curbishley said of his opponents: "The gulf between Arsenal and the rest of the Premier League means that the rest have got it all to do to try and stop them, and I'm including the big three or four."[35] Two goals from Pires and one from Henry ensured a 3–1 win againstAston Villa, who had led the game early on. Attention soon turned toArsenal's trip to face Manchester United. The champions were looking to go half a century of league games unbeaten, whereas the home team – in transition, attempted to push on for a title challenge.[36] The game saw many late aggressive tackles made by United players go unpunished and later in the match, an attempted challenge bySol Campbell onWayne Rooney earned Manchester United a controversial penalty, converted byRuud van Nistelrooy in the 73rd minute. Rooney then scored United's second goal of the match to end Arsenal's unbeaten run on 49 games.[37] Tempers boiled over in the players' tunnel, where pizza was thrown at Manchester United manager SirAlex Ferguson.[38] When speaking to the media, a distraught Wenger told reporters that Rooney dived to win the penalty and criticised the refereeing performance ofMike Riley. He was later found guilty of insinuating that Van Nistelrooy was a cheat, and fined £15,000 by the FA.[39]
The final match of October was againstSouthampton at Highbury. Henry who missed a penalty early on, scored to put Arsenal in front in the 67th minute. Southampton replied with two goals fromRory Delap, but Van Persie in stoppage time equalised for the home team with a curling shot.[40] The draw meant Arsenal stood in first position and had accumulated 26 points. The team were level on points with Chelsea, with a marginally better goal difference.[41]
For the second league game in succession, Arsenal dropped two points. The team drew 1–1 atCrystal Palace on 6 November 2004, which meant Chelsea overtook them in first position.[42][43] Wenger rued Arsenal's inability to hold onto leads in matches and admitted the fluency had disappeared in their football, possibly because of the manner in which they lost the unbeaten record.[42] A week later Arsenal faced Tottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane. It was Tottenham who began the match the better of the two teams and took the lead after 36 minutes whenNoureddine Naybet scored. Henry equalised for Arsenal moments before half-time, and the champions went in front afterLauren converted a penalty. Vieira scored on the hour mark to make it 3–1, beforeJermain Defoe replied for Tottenham instantly with a "wonderful, dipping finish into the top corner".[44] Fàbregas created Arsenal's fourth goal, scored by Ljungberg. In the final 16 minutes Tottenham scored twice and Arsenal once; the final score was 5–4, making it the highest scoringNorth London derby.[44][45] Arsenal's defending was ridiculed by Chelsea managerJosé Mourinho, who told reporters, "Five-four is a hockey score, not a football score."[46]
"I do not think there is too much wrong but when you lose the errors are highlighted. I won't be making any major changes."
Arsenal only managed a draw againstWest Bromwich Albion on 20 November 2004;Robert Earnshaw's goal with 11 minutes remaining of normal time cancelled out Pires' opener.[48] Arsenal lost their final match of November, away to Liverpool atAnfield. Vieira finished off a one-touch move to equalise for Arsenal – who were behind in the first half – butNeil Mellor scored the winning goal of the game, shooting from long range.[49] Football punditAlan Hansen in his analysis onMatch of the Day criticised the temperament of Arsenal's players and questioned their desire: "When you have success, sometimes it isn't there and you have to dig in with great determination and hard work, and at the moment they are not doing that. When you look at their two big players, Henry and Vieira, [you think they] must do better in future."[50] Arsenal ended the month in second, five points behind leaders Chelsea.[51]
Henry scored two late goals in Arsenal's victory overBirmingham City on 4 December 2004. Wenger replaced Lehmann in goal with Almunia, who made his league debut.[52] Arsenal then faced league leaders Chelsea at Highbury; with Vieira suspended and Gilberto andEdu injured, Wenger picked Flamini to partner Fabregas in midfield.[53][54] The first chance of the match went to Henry, who scored inside 75 seconds.John Terry levelled the score, but Henry restored Arsenal's lead from a contentious free-kick –Graham Poll allowed the striker to take it quickly without warning the Chelsea players.[55]Eiður Guðjohnsen equalised early in the second half for Chelsea, and late on Henry missed a chance to score a hat-trick. There were no further goals and the match ended 2–2, meaning Chelsea remained five points clear of Arsenal.[56] Wenger said he was disappointed in the manner his team conceded to Chelsea – from two set pieces, but added, "I thought we did really well, and it was important for us to come back to the level we want to be at."[57]
Arsenal won their remaining games in December and conceded no goals. They beatPortsmouth courtesy of a Campbell goal in the second half, and on Boxing Day defeated Fulham by two goals.[58][59] Vieira scored the winning goal againstNewcastle United, a volley that deflected over goalkeeperShay Given.[60] After 20 games, Arsenal accumulated 44 points and lay second in the league table.[61]
On New Year's Day, Ljungberg scored two goals in Arsenal's 3–1 win against Charlton Athletic.[62] The team four days later drew at home to Manchester City.[63] Arsenal lost further ground to Chelsea after defeat to Bolton Wanderers at theReebok Stadium.[64] Wenger conceded that Chelsea were favourites to win the league because of their point advantage, but added: "We will keep going and fight until the last minute of the championship."[65] Arsenal ended January with a 1–0 home win against Newcastle United. Wenger made four changes from the Bolton defeat, with Bergkamp the match scorer coming in place of Van Persie.[66]
The first night of February saw Arsenal host Manchester United at Highbury. In the tunnel before the matchRoy Keane was seen confronting Vieira; the United captain accused him of intimidating his teammateGary Neville.[67] Vieira scored after eight minutes, but Giggs equalised for Manchester United 10 minutes later. Bergkamp restored Arsenal's advantage nine minutes before half time, but two goals byCristiano Ronaldo and one byJohn O'Shea in the second half gave United a 4–2 win.[68] It was Arsenal's fourth league defeat of the season and moved them down to third spot, overtaken by their opponents. Wenger ruled his team out of the title race and refused to blame Almunia for his error in Ronaldo's first goal.[69] The goalkeeper was dropped in Arsenal's next game, away to Aston Villa. Three first half goals by Ljungberg, Henry and Cole gave Arsenal a comfortable win.[70]
For the match against Crystal Palace on 14 February 2005, Wenger named an Arsenal squad that did not feature a single British player – a first in the club's history. The team did not get off to the best of starts with Lehmann miskicking a back pass and Vieira losing possession routinely, but grew as the game went on and scored three goals in seven minutes. On his 200th league appearance, Henry scored in either half, with the result 5–1 to Arsenal. The result was somewhat overshadowed by the foreign makeup of the team; former playerPaul Merson called it a "joke"[71] and PFA chairmanGordon Taylor noted it was a "worrying pattern for English football".[72] When asked about his team selections, Wenger said: "I don't look at the passport of people, I look at their quality and their attitude."[73]
Arsenal only earned a point at Southampton, where Van Persie was sent off for a late challenge onGraeme Le Saux.[74] The team remained in third at the end of February, four points behind Manchester United and 10 behind leaders Chelsea, who played a game less than both challengers.[75]
Arsenal's form improved as the season drew to a close. At home to Portsmouth on 5 March 2005, the team earned three points courtesy of Henry's hat-trick.[76] Van Persie scored the only goal in Arsenal's match against Blackburn Rovers and the team moved back to second position with a home win against Norwich City – Henry scored another hat-trick.[77][78] A week later Pires' goal was enough for Arsenal to beat Middlesbrough at theRiverside Stadium and win their fourth consecutive match.[79] The team then played out a goalless draw against Chelsea, who were on course to become champions; Wenger congratulated his opponents on their season and felt Arsenal needed to score first so that they could "force them to come out from the back."[80]
Arsenal defeated Tottenham 1–0 on 25 April 2005, which meant Chelsea needed to wait on Saturday in order to mathematically win the title.[81] Second position was the best Arsenal could aim for by the time they faced West Bromwich Albion on 2 May 2005. Goals from Van Persie and Edu earned a 2–0 win for the team and Arsenal beat Champions League finalists Liverpool at Highbury to all-but secure second spot.[82][83] Arsenal recorded the biggest win of the league season, against Everton at Highbury. An inspired performance by Bergkamp helped the team win 7–0; he created the opening two goals and scored in the second half.[84] Arsenal lost their final game of the campaign, away to Birmingham City. It was a lacklustre performance by the visitors, who equalised through Bergkamp after going a goal behind, but conceded in the 90th minute.[85]
| 15 August 20041 | Everton | 1–4 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 14:00BST | Carsley 37', 64'Osman 43' | Report | Bergkamp 23' Reyes 39'Cole 53'Ljungberg 54'Pires 83' | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 35,521 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 22 August 20042 | Arsenal | 5–3 | Middlesbrough | London |
| 16:05BST | Henry 25',90' Bergkamp 54'Pires 65'Reyes 65' | Report | Job 43' Hasselbaink 50'Queudrue 53' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,415 Referee: S Dunn |
| 25 August 20043 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Blackburn Rovers | London |
| 19:45BST | Henry 50' Fàbregas 58'Reyes 79' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,496 Referee:Neale Barry |
| 28 August 20044 | Norwich City | 1–4 | Arsenal | Norwich |
| 17:15BST | Huckerby 50' (pen.) | Report | Reyes 22' Henry 36'Pires 40'Bergkamp 90+3' | Stadium:Carrow Road Attendance: 23,944 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 11 September 20045 | Fulham | 0–3 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00BST | Report | Ljungberg 62' Knight 65' (o.g.)Reyes 71' | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 21,681 Referee:Mark Halsey |
| 18 September 20046 | Arsenal | 2–2 | Bolton Wanderers | London |
| 12:45BST | Henry 31' Pires 66' | Report | Jaïdi 63' Pedersen 85' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,010 Referee:Phil Dowd |
| 25 September 20047 | Manchester City | 0–1 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 15:00BST | Report | Cole 14' | Stadium:City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 47,015 Referee:Neale Barry |
| 2 October 20048 | Arsenal | 4–0 | Charlton Athletic | London |
| 15:00BST | Ljungberg 33' Henry 48',69'Reyes 70' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,103 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 16 October 20049 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Aston Villa | London |
| 15:00BST | Pires 19' (pen.),72' Henry 45+1' | Report | Hendrie 3' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,137 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 24 October 200410 | Manchester United | 2–0 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 16:05BST | G. Neville 36' P. Neville 38'Van Nistelrooy 73' (pen.)Rooney 90+3' | Report | Cole 35' Vieira 75'Edu 79' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 67,862 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 30 October 200411 | Arsenal | 2–2 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00BST | Henry 67' Van Persie 90+2' | Report | Delap 80',85' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,141 Referee:Matt Messias |
| 6 November 200412 | Crystal Palace | 1–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 17:15GMT | Riihilahti 65' | Report | Henry 63' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 26,193 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 13 November 200413 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–5 | Arsenal | London |
| 12:00GMT | Naybet 37' Defoe 61'King 74'Kanouté 88' | Report | Henry 45+1' Lauren 55' (pen.)Vieira 60'Ljungberg 69'Pires 81' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,095 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 20 November 200414 | Arsenal | 1–1 | West Bromwich Albion | London |
| 15:00GMT | Pires 54' | Report | Earnshaw 79' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,109 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 28 November 200415 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 16:05GMT | Alonso 41' Mellor 90+2' | Report | Vieira 56' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,730 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 4 December 200416 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Birmingham City | London |
| 15:00GMT | Pires 33' Henry 80',86' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,064 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 12 December 200417 | Arsenal | 2–2 | Chelsea | London |
| 16:05GMT | Henry 2',29' | Report | Terry 17' Guðjohnsen 46' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,153 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 19 December 200418 | Portsmouth | 0–1 | Arsenal | Portsmouth |
| 16:05GMT | Report | Campbell 75' | Stadium:Fratton Park Attendance: 20,170 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 26 December 200419 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Fulham | London |
| 13:00GMT | Henry 12' Pires 71' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Referee:Barry Knight |
| 29 December 200420 | Newcastle United | 0–1 | Arsenal | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 20:00GMT | Report | Vieira 45+1' | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 52,320 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 1 January 200521 | Charlton Athletic | 1–3 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00GMT | El Karkouri 45' | Report | Ljungberg 35',48' Van Persie 67' | Stadium:The Valley Referee:Mark Halsey |
| 4 January 200522 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Manchester City | London |
| 19:45GMT | Ljungberg 75' | Report | Wright-Phillips 31' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,086 Referee:Rob Styles |
| 15 January 200523 | Bolton Wanderers | 1–0 | Arsenal | Bolton |
| 17:15GMT | Giannakopoulos 41' | Report | Stadium:Reebok Stadium Attendance: 27,514 Referee:Mark Clattenburg |
| 23 January 200524 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Newcastle United | London |
| 16:05GMT | Bergkamp 19' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,137 Referee:Steve Dunn |
| 1 February 200525 | Arsenal | 2–4 | Manchester United | London |
| 20:00GMT | Vieira 8' Bergkamp 36' | Report | Giggs 18' Ronaldo 54',58'Silvestre  69'O'Shea 89' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,164 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 5 February 200526 | Aston Villa | 1–3 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 17:15GMT | Ángel 74' | Report | Ljungberg 10' Henry 14'Cole 28' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 42,593 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 14 February 200527 | Arsenal | 5–1 | Crystal Palace | London |
| 20:00GMT | Bergkamp 32' Reyes 35'Henry 39',77'Vieira 54' | Report | A. Johnson 63' (pen.) | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,056 Referee:Rob Styles |
| 26 February 200528 | Southampton | 1–1 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| 12:45GMT | Prutton 35'  45'Crouch 67' | Report | Ljungberg 45+4' Van Persie 52' | Stadium:St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 31,815 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 5 March 200529 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Portsmouth | London |
| 15:00GMT | Henry 39',53',85' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,079 Referee:Chris Foy |
| 19 March 200530 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–1 | Arsenal | Blackburn |
| 12:45GMT | Report | Van Persie 43' | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 22,992 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 2 April 200531 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Norwich City | London |
| 15:00BST | Henry 19',22',66' Ljungberg 50' | Report | Huckerby 30' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,066 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 9 April 200532 | Middlesbrough | 0–1 | Arsenal | Middlesbrough |
| 15:00BST | Report | Pires 73' | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 33,874 Referee:Phil Dowd |
| 20 April 200533 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Arsenal | London |
| 20:00BST | Report | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,621 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 25 April 200534 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | London |
| 20:00BST | Reyes 22' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,147 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 2 May 200535 | West Bromwich Albion | 0–2 | Arsenal | West Bromwich |
| 20:00BST | Report | Van Persie 66' Edu 90+2' | Stadium:The Hawthorns Attendance: 27,351 Referee:Neale Barry |
| 8 May 200536 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:05BST | Pires 25' Reyes 29'Fàbregas 90+4' | Report | Gerrard 51' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,119 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 11 May 200537 | Arsenal | 7–0 | Everton | London |
| 20:00BST | Van Persie 8' Pires 12',50'Vieira 37'Edu 70' (pen.)Bergkamp 77'Flamini 85' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,073 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 15 May 200538 | Birmingham City | 2–1 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 15:00BST | Pandiani 80' Heskey 90' | Report | Bergkamp 88' | Stadium:St. Andrew's Attendance: 29,302 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea(C) | 38 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 72 | 15 | +57 | 95 | Qualification for theChampions League group stage |
| 2 | Arsenal | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 36 | +51 | 83 | |
| 3 | Manchester United | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 58 | 26 | +32 | 77 | Qualification for theChampions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Everton | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 45 | 46 | −1 | 61 | |
| 5 | Liverpool | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 52 | 41 | +11 | 58 | Qualification for theChampions League first qualifying round[a] |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 36 | +51 | 83 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 54 | 19 | +35 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 17 | +16 |
Source:[88]
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | W | W | W | W | W | D | W | W | W | L | D | D | W | D | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | D | L | W | L | W | W | D | W | W | W | W | D | W | W | W | W | L |
| Position | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, by virtue of their Premier League status. Their opening match was a home tie againstStoke City. The visitors took the lead just before the break, but goals from Reyes and Van Persie in the second half meant Arsenal won 2–1.[90] They then facedWolverhampton Wanderers at home in the next round; a goal apiece from Vieira and Ljungberg secured a comfortable 2–0 victory.[91]
Arsenal's opponent in the fifth round wasSheffield United. After 35 minutes Bergkamp was sent off for his apparent push on Cullip. With eleven minutes of normal time remaining,Robert Pires scored for Arsenal, but the team conceded a late penalty whichAndy Gray converted.[92] The equaliser for Sheffield United meant the match was replayed atBramall Lane on 1 March 2005. Both teams played out a goalless draw after full-time and throughout extra-time, so the tie was decided by a penalty shootout. Almunia saved two penalties, which ensured progress into the quarter-finals.[93]
Bolton Wanderers hosted Arsenal at the Reebok Stadium in the sixth round of the competition. Ljungberg scored the only goal of the tie after just three minutes; he had an opportunity to extend Arsenal's lead in stoppage time, but hit the ball over from six yards.[94] Arsenal faced Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final which was played at the Millennium Stadium. Two goals from Van Persie and one from Pires gave Arsenal a 3–0 win, in a match marred by Blackburn's aggressive tactics.[95]
This set up a showdown with Manchester United in the final on 21 May 2005. United were on top for long periods of the game but Arsenal resisted their pressure and the match ended 0–0 after 120 minutes, albeit Arsenal were a man lighter after Reyes' dismissal with a minute remaining for two bookable offences.[96] The match went to penalties with all the penalty takers converting barringPaul Scholes, whose effort was denied by Lehmann. Vieira converted the final and winning spot-kick to seal a tenth FA Cup crown for Arsenal.[96]
| 9 January 2005Third round | Arsenal | 2–1 | Stoke City | London |
| 14:00GMT |
| Report | Thomas 44' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 36,579 Referee:Neale Barry (Lincolnshire) |
| 29 January 2005Fourth round | Arsenal | 2–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,153 Referee:Mike Riley (Leeds) |
| 19 February 2005Fifth round | Arsenal | 1–1 | Sheffield United | London |
| 12:30GMT | Pires 78' | Report | Gray 90' (pen.) | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 36,891 Referee:Neale Barry (Lincolnshire) |
| 1 March 2005Fifth round replay | Sheffield United | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–4p) | Arsenal | Sheffield |
| 20:05GMT | Report | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 27,595 Referee:Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| 12 March 2005Sixth round | Bolton Wanderers | 0–1 | Arsenal | Bolton |
| 12:15GMT | Report | Ljungberg 3' | Stadium:Reebok Stadium Attendance: 23,523 Referee:Steve Bennett (Kent) |
| 16 April 2005Semi-finals | Arsenal | 3–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Cardiff |
| 12:15BST |
| Report | Stadium:Millennium Stadium Attendance: 52,077 Referee:Steve Dunn (Gloucestershire) |
| 21 May 2005Final | Arsenal | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4p) | Manchester United | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Millennium Stadium Attendance: 71,876 Referee:Rob Styles (Hampshire) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
TheFootball League Cup is a cup competition open to clubs in the Premier League and Football League. Like the FA Cup it is played on a knockout basis, with the exception of the second round and semi-finals, which are contested over atwo-legged tie. Together with the other clubs playing in European competitions, Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round. The team were drawn to face Manchester City, on the week of 25 October 2004.[97] Wenger fielded a relatively young team for the tie, which took the lead in the second half when Van Persie scored.Danny Karbassiyoon extended the visitor's lead in the 90th minute, just before Manchester City strikerRobbie Fowler scored from a free-kick.[98]
In the fourth round, Arsenal faced Everton at Highbury. The team went behind after eight minutes of play, butQuincy Owusu-Abeyie levelled the scoreline and in the second halfArturo Lupoli scored twice.[99] Wenger was pleased with how his team responded to the setback and added: "They played intelligently, technically well and with the spirit we like to play the game."[100] Arsenal bowed out of the competition away to Manchester United; the only goal of the match came inside 19 seconds whenDavid Bellion profited from an error by goalkeeper Almunia.[101]
| 27 October 2004Third round | Manchester City | 1–2 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 19:45BST | Fowler 90+4' | Report |
| Stadium:City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 21,708 Referee:Peter Walton (Northamptonshire) |
| 9 November 2004Fourth round | Arsenal | 3–1 | Everton | London |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Gravesen 8' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 27,791 Referee:Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) |
| 1 December 2004Quarter-finals | Manchester United | 1–0 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 19:45GMT | Bellion 1' | Report | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 67,103 Referee:Mark Halsey (Lancashire) |
Arsenal were drawn in Group E, along with Dutch championsPSV, Greek clubPanathinaikos and Norwegian sideRosenborg.[102] AnAlex own goal was enough for Arsenal to claim three points against PSV on the first matchday. The team drew away to Rosenborg and earned a point at Panathinaikos, despite twice having taken the lead at theLeoforos Alexandras Stadium.[103][104] In the reverse fixture, Cygan scored an own goal to cancel out Henry's first-half opener; the result left Arsenal in second position.[105] Their next match was against PSV at thePhilips Stadion, where after eight minutes the home side took the lead. Henry equalised for Arsenal, having created the chance following a one-two with Ljungberg. In the second half Lauren and Vieira were both sent off, for two bookable offences.[106] Wenger accepted refereeHerbert Fandel's decision, but added his surprise thatMark van Bommel was not cautioned: "If you look at the number of fouls he made without being punished it is very surprising because he made some deliberate fouls. Some people might criticise Patrick when we were down to 10 men but he felt he had to fight harder to win the ball."[107]
The draw against PSV meant Arsenal had to beat against Rosenborg to qualify for the last 16. A 5–1 win at home, with five different goalscorers on the scoresheet, put Arsenal top of the group given PSV lost to Panathinaikos.[108]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arsenal | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 10 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 |  PSV Eindhoven | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 10 | |
| 3 |  Panathinaikos | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 9 | Transfer toUEFA Cup |
| 4 |  Rosenborg | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 2 |
vPSV| 14 September 20041 | Arsenal | 1–0 | PSV | London,England |
| 19:45BST | Alex 41' (o.g.) | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 34,068 Referee:Domenico Messina (Italy) |
vArsenal| 29 September 20042 | Rosenborg | 1–1 | Arsenal | Trondheim,Norway |
| 20:45CET | Strand 52' | Report | Ljungberg 6' | Stadium:Lerkendal Stadion Attendance: 21,100 Referee:Florian Meyer (Germany) |
vArsenal| 20 October 20043 | Panathinaikos | 2–2 | Arsenal | Athens,Greece |
| 20:45CET | Report | Stadium:Leoforos Alexandras Stadium Attendance: 12,346 Referee:Valentin Ivanov (Russia) |
vPanathinaikos| 2 November 20044 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Panathinaikos | London,England |
| 19:45GMT | Henry 16' (pen.) | Report | Cygan 75' (o.g.) | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,137 Referee:Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain) |
vArsenal| 24 November 20045 | PSV | 1–1 | Arsenal | Eindhoven,Netherlands |
| 20:45CET | Ooijer 8' | Report | Stadium:Philips Stadion Attendance: 35,200 Referee:Herbert Fandel (Germany) |
vRosenborg| 7 December 20046 | Arsenal | 5–1 | Rosenborg | London,England |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Hoftun 38' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,421 Referee:Stefano Farina (Italy) |
Arsenal were drawn againstBayern Munich in the knockout stages.[110] In the first leg a mistake from Touré presentedClaudio Pizarro to score inside four minutes. The striker then scored his second of the match in the 58th minute, getting past his marker Touré, andHasan Salihamidžić added a third for Bayern seven minutes later. Touré scored an away goal late on for Arsenal, which gave them a slender chance of progressing into the quarter-finals.[111] Arsenal beat Bayern in the second leg, but a solitary goal – scored by Henry in the 66th minute, meant the club was eliminated.[112]
vArsenal| 22 February 2005First leg | Bayern Munich | 3–1 | Arsenal | Munich,Germany |
| 20:45CET |
| Report | Touré 88' | Stadium:Olympiastadion Attendance: 36,891 Referee:Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark) |
vBayern Munich| 9 March 2005Second leg | Arsenal | 1–0 (2–3agg.) | Bayern Munich | London,England |
| 19:45GMT | Henry 66' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,450 Referee:Massimo De Santis (Italy) |
Arsenal used a total of 32 players during the 2004–05 season and there were 18 different goalscorers. There were also three squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. The team played in a 4–4–2 formation throughout the season, but Wenger deployed a 4–5–1 formation for the cup final.[113] Touré featured in 49 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign.[114]
The team scored a total of 117 goals in all competitions.[115] The highest scorer was Henry, with 30 goals, followed by Pires who scored 17 goals.[115] Five Arsenal players were sent off during the season: Vieira, Reyes, Bergkamp, Van Persie and Lauren.[116]
No. = Squad number Pos = Playing position Nat. = Nationality Apps = Appearances | GK =Goalkeeper DF =Defender MF =Midfielder FW =Forward |
|
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances assubstitute. Players with number struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Community Shield | Champions League | Total | Discipline | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  | ||||
| 1 | GK | GER | Jens Lehmann | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Ashley Cole | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 (1) | 0 | 46 (1) | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 4 | MF |  FRA | Patrick Vieira | 32 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 7 | 12 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | FRA | Robert Pires | 26 (7) | 14 | 4 (2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 (1) | 1 | 37 (10) | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | MF |  SWE | Freddie Ljungberg | 24 (2) | 10 | 5 (1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 35 (3) | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW |  ESP | José Antonio Reyes | 25 (5) | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 (1) | 1 | 39 (6) | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | NED | Dennis Bergkamp | 20 (9) | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 29 (9) | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | FW | NED | Robin van Persie | 12 (14) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | (1) | 0 | (6) | 1 | 18 (23) | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | DF |  CMR | Lauren | 32 (1) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 44 (1) | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | FRA | Thierry Henry | 31 (1) | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 41 (1) | 30 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Cesc Fàbregas | 24 (9) | 2 | 4 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 (1) | 1 | 34 (12) | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | FRA | Mathieu Flamini | 9 (12) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 18 (14) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | MF |  BRA | Edu | 6 (6) | 2 | (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 10 (8) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | FRA | Pascal Cygan | 15 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | BRA | Gilberto Silva | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF |  SUI | Philippe Senderos | 12 (1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Jermaine Pennant | 1 (6) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (6) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | FRA | Gaël Clichy | 7 (8) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 14 (10) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Sol Campbell | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | ESP | Manuel Almunia | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | DF |  CIV | Emmanuel Eboué | (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | CIV | Kolo Touré | 35 | 0 | 5 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 49 (1) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | FRA | Jérémie Aliadière | (4) | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | (1) | 0 | (7) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | ENG | Justin Hoyte | 4 (1) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 8 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF |  DEN | Sebastian Svärd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | MF |  IRL | Patrick Cregg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | SUI | Johan Djourou | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | MF | SWE | Sebastian Larsson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | FW |  ITA | Arturo Lupoli | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | FW | NED | Quincy Owusu-Abeyie | 1 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 1 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 2 (5) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | DF |  USA | Danny Karbassiyoon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | FW | ENG | Ryan Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
